#3 Atmosphere part 2
Layers of the Atmosphere
Exosphere
• Outer-most layer
• Satellites found in this layer
Thermosphere
• Thermo = thermal energy
• Hottest layer
• Temperature increases with altitude, aurora,
meteor trails
Ionsphere: not true layer of the
atmosphere but a layer of charged
particles that we bounce radio waves off of
for communication
Mesosphere:
• Meso = middle
• Coldest layer, temp decreases with altitude
Stratosphere:
• Strato = layer
• Temp increases with altitude due to the
absorption of UV rays
Ozone layer:
–Protects us from UV rays by absorbing
them
–Thickest at the equator, thinnest at the
poles
–Ozone is O3 (we breath O2)
–Pollution takes one oxygen molecule
from the ozone molecule
Troposphere
• Tropo = mixing (gases being mixed by the
weather systems)
• Temperature decrease with altitude
• Layer contains water
Types of Energy Transfer
Radiation: transfer of energy by
electromagnetic waves, ie sun’s radiation
Conduction: transfer of energy that occurs
when molecules bump into each other and
transfer heat, ie metal spoon in hot soup
Convection: transfer of energy due to
differences in density, hot air rises & cool air
sinks
Global winds
Winds caused by the uneven heating of the
Earth’s surface by the sun’s radiation.
Coriolis effect: the winds (and ocean
currents) are deflected due to the rotation
of the Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBqohRu2RRk